Journalism, Brazilian Style

Just seconds after I met Cintia, www.couchsurfing.com 's ambassador in São Paulo (more about couchsurfing later!), we were accosted by a news camera crew outside the TV station Gazeta's enormous office on the Avenida Paulista.

Gazeta's TV Crew, my friend Cintia on the far left

Of course accosting innocent bystanders is what I do every day as a news reporter in Ireland, so I made Cintia do an interview. The reporter, a tough lady wearing suede pumps and dark sunglasses (I would love to see reporters dress like this in Europe!) thanked me profusely for helping her drag poor Cintia in front of the camera. Little did I know that Gazeta is a TV station aimed mostly at housewives and their news coverage consists mostly of recipes and horoscopes. In fact, they made Cintia ask a question rather than answer one, the question was going to be a lead-in to an advise session with a relationships expert. The question they made Cintia ask was: "I want to stay a virgin but my family is giving me trouble about this, what should I do?"
I'd love if reporting was just as easy in Ireland!